Keith Idec's boxing notes for June 14: Kovalev-White is featured fight

By KEITH IDEC

STAFF WRITER |

The Record

FEATURED FIGHT: Sergey Kovalev vs. Cornelius White. Before Adonis Stevenson’s one-punch, one-minute demolition of Chad Dawson on Saturday night, Kovalev’s three-round destruction of Spain’s Gabriel Campillo (21-5-1, 8 KOs, 1 NC) on Jan. 19 was the most noteworthy knockout in the light heavyweight division this year. Russia’s Kovalev (20-0-1, 18 KOs), who’s promoted by Totowa-based Main Events, will attempt to score another impressive victory against Houston’s White (21-1, 16 KOs) tonight in Bethlehem, Pa. The Kovalev-White winner will become the IBF’s No. 1 contender at 175 pounds for champion Bernard Hopkins. Their fight will be one of three televised tonight by NBC Sports Network from Sands Casino Resort, beginning at 8 p.m.

LOCAL LOOK: Paterson resident Ossie Duran hopes he can change his luck against undefeated fighters Saturday night in Dallas. The veteran middleweight from Ghana will face Russian southpaw Matt Korobov (19-0, 11 KOs) on the non-televised portion of the Mikey Garcia-Juan Manuel Lopez undercard at American Airlines Center in Dallas. The past three times Duran (28-10-2, 11 KOs) has fought undefeated prospects or contenders, he lost decisions to James Kirkland (then 18-0), Fernando Guerrero (then 15-0) and Brandon Gonzales (then 14-0). The Duran-Korobov bout will be one of the undercard fights toprank.com will stream live Saturday, beginning at 7 p.m.

THE FINAL BELL: Dawson’s free fall from elite-level light heavyweight champion to what he has become has been nothing short of stunning. Andre Ward destroyed the skilled southpaw from New Haven, Conn., nine months ago, but Dawson dismissed that three-knockdown, 10th-round technical knockout defeat as a consequence of moving down from 175 pounds to 168 to challenge Ward (26-0, 14 KOs). Dawson (31-2, 17 KOs, 2 NC) fared even worse in his return to 175 pounds Saturday night in Montreal, where Stevenson stretched him with a well-placed left hand that severely damaged Dawson’s career.

Keith Idec's boxing notes for June 14: Kovalev-White is featured fight

By KEITH IDEC

STAFF WRITER |

The Record

FEATURED FIGHT: Sergey Kovalev vs. Cornelius White. Before Adonis Stevenson’s one-punch, one-minute demolition of Chad Dawson on Saturday night, Kovalev’s three-round destruction of Spain’s Gabriel Campillo (21-5-1, 8 KOs, 1 NC) on Jan. 19 was the most noteworthy knockout in the light heavyweight division this year. Russia’s Kovalev (20-0-1, 18 KOs), who’s promoted by Totowa-based Main Events, will attempt to score another impressive victory against Houston’s White (21-1, 16 KOs) tonight in Bethlehem, Pa. The Kovalev-White winner will become the IBF’s No. 1 contender at 175 pounds for champion Bernard Hopkins. Their fight will be one of three televised tonight by NBC Sports Network from Sands Casino Resort, beginning at 8 p.m.

LOCAL LOOK: Paterson resident Ossie Duran hopes he can change his luck against undefeated fighters Saturday night in Dallas. The veteran middleweight from Ghana will face Russian southpaw Matt Korobov (19-0, 11 KOs) on the non-televised portion of the Mikey Garcia-Juan Manuel Lopez undercard at American Airlines Center in Dallas. The past three times Duran (28-10-2, 11 KOs) has fought undefeated prospects or contenders, he lost decisions to James Kirkland (then 18-0), Fernando Guerrero (then 15-0) and Brandon Gonzales (then 14-0). The Duran-Korobov bout will be one of the undercard fights toprank.com will stream live Saturday, beginning at 7 p.m.

THE FINAL BELL: Dawson’s free fall from elite-level light heavyweight champion to what he has become has been nothing short of stunning. Andre Ward destroyed the skilled southpaw from New Haven, Conn., nine months ago, but Dawson dismissed that three-knockdown, 10th-round technical knockout defeat as a consequence of moving down from 175 pounds to 168 to challenge Ward (26-0, 14 KOs). Dawson (31-2, 17 KOs, 2 NC) fared even worse in his return to 175 pounds Saturday night in Montreal, where Stevenson stretched him with a well-placed left hand that severely damaged Dawson’s career.